Method of making fluid coupling rotor elements



Dec. l, 1953 Vo. M. KosKlNEN 2,660,970

METHOD OF MAKING FLUID COUPLING ROTOR ELEMENTS Original Filed Jan. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Oldyz' M /osz'zzerr.

METHOD 0F MAKING FLUID COUPLING RoToR ELEMENTS o. M. KosKlNEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. l, 1953 Original Filed Jan. 23, 1948 Patented Dec. 1, 1953 '26603370 METHOD oF MAKING FLUIDCOUPLING Ro'ro ELEi/mirrs Y oriui M Koskineapetmit, Mieli., assign'r tb Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mieli.,v

corporation of Delaware Original application J auary. 23,1948, ASerial o. 3,996, now Patent 4No. 2,599,461, clai:,ulf.l.l1l 1e 3, 1952. Divided and this application July 13 .71.949, Serial No. 104,470

vision of rny applic tionerialjNo. 3,996, vfiled danuary 2 3;1948,v 'now filatent 2,599,461, granted e. .31952- /TbnYH-QQ iS illustrated and described in connection with the manufacture of a vaned struturfeyforna hydrodynamic torque placement of the latter. The/vane retainer in. its final forni includes a plurality of notches respectively rcf -g `a vane and aplurality of tongues one 'extending linto each` space between adjacent varies; T h 'improved method incldes 4the featurf g'f iltiliz'ing the v'anesg, when -tiiliatter positioned relative ne` the carrier, asv an iinplennt -against WhichF'th' I'retainer is pressed to dvfict lrtion of the retainer into etten space raw'eenV adjacent varies and for cutting or lancinfg the retainer to provide the vane# receiving notches. tonguesv forrned by cutting lthe retainer are deflected one into each space bftw'een adjacent varies bythe application of the 'zjfore'saidprssr, and that portion o'f the rerainer `divs'p1aea by the cutting of the notches constitutes a ton"v "e which is maintained in the liljrle of and engages an edge of thatvane in notch; Each vane'utilized in the aforesaid tingand lancin ofthe retainer isv maintained 1 respective jadjacen' 4circumferentially spaced 'fluid passage-forming t *e retainer 'extendhe t and .constitute a gbaiiie in the runner .strlictiire Teach tori-gue being disposed generallyl:radiallywhereas in: the iinpeller structure efacli sufch tonga is folded4 over 'the vane'ly tab in 'tlefsipi b en adjacent van'es.. This folding Vof theu'tonguesj d I f plished bythe 'pressure operation byr which the ltongues are formedas aforesaid.- p Q 1 j Other objects anfd..a`d ant'ages ofthjeinvention will `be `more apparent from the folio fng description taken in 'connection with the accompanying.drawngsinwhih formed by cual Fig. 1 isv a fragmentary sectional view inside 'elevation illustrating a 'fluid Jmupiing embodying the invention, Y l I l n n Fig'.Vv 2 is affragnientary elevational view, partly in section, taken on line 2 2 ofFi'g. t y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken asindicaieaby une 3.-'3 ding. .1 with .a .bart thereof broken away 'tov `show the underlying structur. Fig. a issanenlargled; fragmentary perspective viewhpart'ly insectijor'l, further illustrating the .assembly .of th Yanes; van@ .Support arid retainer at the inner diameter ofthe coupling rotor.

Fig. 511s a vife'w similar r to ji'fig.` 'fi illustrating thev assemplykpfwthe varies, vane support, and retainer at the inner diameter of the coupling driven rotor.` Fig. 6 is afraf 'inentaryvperspective view; partly in section; illustrating the, cutting and v'apparatu's for the iinpellfervane retainer at the .io.r1.g,.e. illustratie the apparatusyer operating on! ih. runnen/ane between .that amg.

troader aspects; the` cupn mtdyi g trieni- Valles.

to fa driving shaft I3 by bolts I4 for rotationV Y therewith. Inasmuch as the fluid coupling functions as a flywheel, the same is provided with a ring gear I5. The casing I I has a dished section to which is secured, as by welding, a vane carrier or support I6 having an annular marginal portion or dished section, an annular ange II extending radially inwardly from the latter adjacent the inner diameter of the carrier, Iand an annular terminal flange I8 extending generally axially. Seated in the dished section of the carrier I6 are a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced vanes I9, each of which has a tab 20 vat the radially outer end abutting and secured, as by welding, to the carrier at the outer diameter thereof, and a tab 2I abuttingand secured, as by welding, to the carrier intermediate the innner and outer diameters of the latter. The inner end of each vane I9 has a tab 22 abutting the carrier I 6 adjacent the inner diameter, it being understood that the tabs 20, 2I, 22 of each vane are disposed in the space between the latter and an adjacent vane. The foregoing construction constitutes the impeller structure or driving rotor of the coupling which is driven directly from the shaft I3.

The inner ends of the vanes I9 are secured to the carrier IS by an annular retainer 23 which abuts the carrier flange I'I and is welded thereto. The retainer extends over the edge of the vanes i9 and is notched at the free edge thereof at those Y portions thereof respectively registering with the vanes I9 to receive the latter. That portion of the material displaced in forming each notch constitutes a tongue 2e which overlies an edge of the registering vane. This notching of the retalner provides a plurality of tongues 25 respectively registering with the space between adjacent vanes, each tongue 25 being deflected to overlie and engage that vane tab 22 which lies in the aforesaid registering space between adjacent The tongues 25 prevent circumferential displacement of the vanes and form a structural interlock between the vanes and the retainer which is in turn secured to the carrier. In order to insure against displacement of the retainer relative to the carrier under the influence of centrifugal force developed during operation of the coupling, the retainer 23 at the inner diameter thereof has a flange 23 which extends over and abuts the radially inner periphery of the carrier flange I8. In effect, the flanges I'I, I8 and adjacent portion of the dished section of the carrier define in cross section an axially opening channel which is nested in a correspondingly open channel defined by the retainer and this provides a form of structural interlock operable to prevent relative separation of the carrier and retainer under the inuence of centrifugal force.

The centrifugal force developed during operation of the impeller or driving rotor tends to deflect the carrier I radially outwardly at the outer diameter thereof and this produces a tendency of the vanes I9 to rock or fulcrum about an axis at the intermediate tabs 2 I, with a resulting tendency of the inner ends of the vanes I9 to move in a direction generally longitudinally of the axis of rotation of the impeller or driving of each structure.

rotor, that is, to the right as viewed in Fig. l. This tendency is opposed by the retainer through the tongues 24 acting on the edges of the registering vanes and the tongues 25 acting on the vane tabs 22. Any tendency'of the vanes I9 to move generally radially outwardly will be resisted by the tongues 25 acting on the tabs 22.

The runner structure or driven rotor of the coupling includes a vane carrier or support 26 having an annular dished section opening toward and disposed. in juxtaposed relation to the impeller structure. Seated in the dished section are a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes 27, each having a tab 28 at the outer end secured, as by welding, to the section at the outer diameter of the latter, and a tab 29 similarly secured to such section intermediate the inner and outer diameters of the latter. A third tab 30 of each vane abuts the carrier 26 adjacent the inner diameter thereof. The carrier has an annular flange SI which overlaps a flange 32 of a hollow shaft An annular member 34 has a part which extends between the flanges 3l, 32 and together with flange 3l is secured by rivets 35 to flange 32. Thus the carrier, vanes and member 34 are rotatably connected to shaft The member 3ft has a part which extends radially inwardly over the edge of the vanes 2 at the inner ends thereof and over the space between adjacent vanes and is notched at each vane to receive the latter and to provide relatively small tongues 35 respectively registering with and abutting such vane edge, and a plurality of relatively large tongues 36 which respectively extend into the space between adjacent vanes. The tongues 36 retain the inner ends of the vanes 27 against circumferential displacement and the engagement of each vane edge by its registering tongues 35 and by the member 311 at the base of the registering notch prevents moveinent of the adjacent vane ends in a direction to the left as viewed in Fig. l, it being understood that the runner structure or driven rotor is subject to the action of centrifugal force as set forth in connection with the impeller structure. Rocking action of the vanes under the inuence of such force is opposed at the inner vane ends by the member 34.

The impeller and runner structures at the dished, vaned sections provide a chamber for the circulation of a fiuid medium, such circuit including va iiuid passage between adjacent vanes In this type of coupling the runner is driven by ow of pressure fluid impelled thereto by the impeller structure, such fluid moving from the impeller to the runner in the region of the outer diameter of the chamber and being returned to the impeller in the region of the chamber adjacent the inner diameter thereof.

vThat portion of the member 34 which extends across the passages between adjacent vanes in the runner structure vacts as a baflie to interrupt the flow of fluid from the runner to the impeller when the coupling `is operating under relatively high slip between the rimpeller and runner, for example, when the impeller is rotating at a relatively low speed. 'When the coupling is operating under a relatively lowslip condition the uid circuit at the inner diameter moves outwardly beyond the region of the baffle and the latter does not exert any appreciable influence onthe flow of fluid. This control of fluid flow by the baffle is particularly desirable when, for example, the

coupling is employed in amotor `vehicle. drive lby contact with said exposed vane edges, said pressure application cutting of said retainerV by said vanes forming vane anchoring tabs overlying said exposed Vane edges and causing deflection of those portions of the retainer inner margin intermediate said tabs into the spaces between respectively adjacent vanes. y

2. The method of making a fluid coupling rotor element comprising providing an annular vane carrier having a dished, cross sectional configuration Within which a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced vanes are mounted with each vane normal to said carrier inner surface and having an exposed edge portion adjacent a peripheral edge portion of said carrier, arranging a ring-like vaneretainer about said carrier peripheral. edge with the free inner marginal portions of the retainer extending over said exposed edge portions of said vanes, and applying pressure between said carrier and vane retainer at the free inner marginal areas of the retainer intermediate adjacent vanes to cause cutting of the free marginal portions of the retainer by contact with said exposed vane edges, said pressure application cutting of said retainer by said vanes forming vane anchoring tabs overlying said exposed vane edges and causing deflection of thosev portions of the retainer inner margin intermediate said tabs into interlocking engagement with circumferentially projecting portions of the vanes Ylocated inthe spaces between respectively adjacent vanes.

l 3. The method of making a vaned structure that includes an' annular vane carrier of dished cross sectional configuration and a plurality of spaced vanes arranged interiorly of the carrier, comprising assemblying the vanes normal to the inner surface of the carrier in radially extending and circumferentially spaced relationship with an edge of each vane abutting said carrier inner surface andanother edge of each vane exposed adjacent a peripheral portion of the carrier, se-

curing said vanes to the carrier at vpoints where .the vane edges abut the carrier inner surface,

arranging a ring-like retainer around the carrier peripheral portion with inner marginal portions thereof overlapping Vthe exposed edges oi' said vanes adjacent the said peripheral portion of the carrier, securing said retainer to said carrier,

applying pressure between the carrier and the marginal areas of the retainer respectively intermediate the vanes suilcient to cut said retainer inner marginal portions by contact with said exposed vane edges during the said application of pressure to form vane-receiving notches at each vane edge, said pressure application to said retainer being suiicient to deiiect the vane retainer marginal portions intermediate said notches into the space between adjacent vanes, said pressure applying means acting between adjacent vanes to support the latter against lateral deflection during said pressure application.

4. The method of making a lluid coupling rotor element comprising providing an annular vane carrier having a dished cross sectional coniiguration and arranginLr a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes within and normal to the inner surface of said carrier with each `vane having a lengthwise exposed edge portion adjacent the carrier periphery, arranging a ring-like vane retainer on the carrier periphery with a rst inner peripheral part thereof extending over said exposed vane edge portions and a second outer peripheral part extending over the carrier periphery, applying pressure between the carrier and the rst part o1" the retainer at area of the latter respectively registering with the space between adjacent vanes, said pressure application being sufficient to cut said retainer rst part on contact with said exposed vane edge portions and to thereby form tongues one registering with each space between adjacent vanes and to deiiect at least a portion of each tongue into its said registering space, said pressureapplication also being applied to and deforming said retainer second part into structural interlocking relationship with the carrier periphery.

' OLAVI M. KOSKINEN.

References Citedfin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,977,299 Bates Oct. 16, 1934 2,328,393y Neracher Aug. 31, 1943 2,409,593 Sassmanhausen, Oct. 15, 1946 2,429,503 Zeidler Oct. 21, 1947 2,431,855 Zeidler Dec. 2, 1947 2,436,412 Zeidler Feb. 24, 1948 

